Monday, February 16, 2009

Goofball public editor from the News & Observer bails, gets cushy state job despite hiring freeze


Ted Vaden, the public editor at the News & Observer who once recommended the Mallard Fillmore cartoon be canceled due to excessive Obama bashing, announced he is leaving the paper for a job in state government.

Ted Vaden, The News & Observer's public editor, is ending his 32-year career at the newspaper to take charge of communications at the state Department of Transportation.
Transportation Secretary Gene Conti announced Vaden's appointment today as deputy secretary for communications, a new post at DOT.
DOT announced a hiring freeze last fall, but Conti received Gov. Beverly Perdue's approval for the new hire.
Since there is a hiring freeze in effect for N.C. state government positions, looks like Ted Vaden got his very own stimulus package. Oh -- you'll never guess which political party Gov. Perdue belongs to. (Click here if you give up.) Link to today's N&O article here.

Hat tip: comments

UPDATE: As noted in the N&O article, his new salary is $117,000. Thanks to readers who pointed this out.
.
.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would like to know what his state salary is? That is public information isn't it?

Kevin Gregory said...

6:04 -- you're more likely to get that info from bloggers than the News & Observer.

Anonymous said...

$117,000.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1407948.html

Anonymous said...

A hiring freeze for Democrats means not hiring people that actually work, or serve the public. More leeches are always welcomed. He knows how to spin and hide information, so he was a logical choice. Be prepared to believe nothing about what the state is doing on your behalf.

Anonymous said...

I guess, once again, McClatchy Watch is proven incorrect. Or is that just wrong? Angry that a quality journalist can leave on her or his own terms and actually get a job? Sorry that your Nazi, er conservative, ass got kicked to the curb.

Anonymous said...

McClatchy Watch - see comments for link to N&O story that reported his new salary.

Anonymous said...

6:11 PM You deserve a raise!

$117,000, to start, and bennies, during a hiring freeze. The need to spin the truth must be severe.

Anonymous said...

Public editors are the lowest rung of the journalist scale. His next stop at the N&O was probably going to be buyout or layoff. I'm guessing he wasn't what most of us would call a "quality journalist."

Anonymous said...

Jill Zuckman from the Chicago Tribune left the paper to join the Obama administration.

She was prime member of Obama's liberal media machine.

Liberal Media exposed again.

Anonymous said...

Bow tie crowd huh? But are you sure he's a dem/lib?

Anonymous said...

He's in a tux. Idiot.

Anonymous said...

He's not in a tux.

His shirt isn't ruffled. It's a basic red stripe shirt, basic blue jacket and a faggy tie

So then, when was the last time you wore a tux bright boy?... NEVER

Anonymous said...

He's in a tux. Idiot.
--
A salvation army tux maybe.

Anonymous said...

This is the kind of enlightened readership that comes to this trashy blog, huh.

You folks seem to have the same depth of intelligence as George W. Bush.

George Will would be embarrassed of you people.

Anonymous said...

Unless you know the benefit package of a state employee, the salary stated could rise by 40%, more or less. Some have a car and gas, perhaps to drive home, based on the perceived need to travel the state? These are no little perks we taxpayers are asked to pay for these do-nothings. This is of course while the taxpayer tightens their belts. Everyone ought to raise hell about this ‘Hiring freeze’/‘Let them eat cake’ farce.